The cemetery was established in the mid-18th century. According to the privilege granted to Marians in 1758, a specific place between “Šešupė and gardens” was selected to build a cemetery. At that time it was a territory outside the city, near the church.
The northern part of the territory hasn’t been excavated until these days due to believe that victims of the plague were buried there in 1710. The red brick chapel could have been built in the late 18th century. Historical studies suggest that there were more buildings in the cemetery, like private chapels. Many doubts arise with respect to the statement that Countess Pranciška Butlerienė, the founder of the city, could have been buried there. For a long period of time only Catholics were allowed to have eternal rest in the old cemetery, therefore it is not possible to detect exact number of other Christian people who are buried there.
As the city grew, residential buildings were built around the cemetery, therefore less and less place was left for burial grounds. In 1846 a new cemetery (currently, in P. Armino Street ) was built for Catholic citizens. In 1850 the old cemetery was closed, although for several years exceptions were made to some townsmen, who were granted eternal rest near their relatives.
At the time of Lithuanian press ban, imposed by imperial Russia, book smugglers used the old cemetery as a hiding place of the forbidden press.
In Soviet times the cemetery was destroyed: the chapel was demolished, monuments and tombstones removed. Instead an access road was laid through it, the sports grounds and iron fence were built in the territory of the cemetery. Gradually a very important part of the Marijampolė was deleted from history.
After the restoration of Lithuania's independence, the cemeteries are included in the list of heritage monuments protected by the state.
In 2014, a reconstruction (project’s author Gintautas Vieversys) funded by the municipality and private persons took place in the area. The monument created by sculptor Julius Narušis was unveiled in the center of the cemetery. Two more monument stones are was placed at the former entrance to the cemetery.
Inscription on the heritage object
- AddressA.Civinsko St./ Alyvų St., Marijampolė
- Date - 1948
- Statusstate protected, object of historical heritage
- Not stayingDestroyed in 1948
Persons related to the object
Tourist routes
Related documents and other publications
Literature and resources
1. Kapinės Marijampolėje, prie Alyvų gatvės / Benjaminas Mašalaitis // benjamino.blogas.lt. – 2014-10-11. – [Žiūrėta 2015-09-30] Prieiga per internetą: <http://benjamino.blogas.lt/kapines-marijampoleje-prie-alyvu-gatves-352.html>
2. Paminklas protėvių kapinėse / L. Burbienė, R. Linionio fot. // Suvalkietis. – 2014 rugs 23 d. p. 1.
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